This past weekend, Villanova’s baseball team traveled to Cincinnati, OH, where it was swept, 3-0, by Xavier (16-21, 6-3 Big East) in the three-game series. The losses put the Wildcats at 11-20 on the season and 0-6 in Big East play.
“We’ve had a bunch of guys step up as leaders this season,” Coach Mulvey said. “Michael Whooley, Jake Francis, Carter Richey always says the right things at the right times. And Collin Quintano is a quiet leader for us, he leads by example.”
Game one kicked off on Friday, April 10, when the ‘Cats fell, 8-4, at Hayden Field.
Villanova struck first in the opening inning. Sophomore Austin Lemon, senior Michael Whooley and sophomore Brayden Leonard managed to get on base.
Lemon reached home plate to score on a fielder’s choice from sophomore John Freitag, giving Villanova an early 1-0 lead.
In the second inning, the Musketeers responded with four runs on two hits. A two-run home run, along with back-to-back singles, scoring two baserunners, gave Xavier a 4-1 lead.
“We had some trouble with the long ball with Xavier,” Coach Mulvey said. “But since Xavier’s field is shorter we were expecting more to get out. Our job was to make sure that if they did, they were solo to limit the damage.”
Through the fifth, Xavier added a pair of runs and maintained a 6-1 advantage. It added another run in the seventh on a solo home run.
Lemon added an RBI double in the seventh inning to rally the ‘Cats. Freshmen Larry Hotaling and Jack Roventini got on base, scoring on a passed ball and an RBI, cutting the deficit to 7-4.
In the eighth, Xavier took advantage of two walks and a passed ball to extend the lead to 8-4.
“That’s what it’s all about in those high-pressure situations,” Coach Mulvey said. “You perform to your best, and that’s what we’re ok with. Being able to perform at that peak is what separates the great from the best.”
The Wildcats returned on Saturday, April 12, for the second game of the series. Despite an early lead, Villanova lost again, 9-7, after the Musketeers’ late rally.
Lemon’s single allowed senior Collin Quintano to knock him in for Villanova’s first run in the opening inning. Redshirt sophomore Mark Gialluisi then hit a solo home run in the second.
A few more Wildcats managed to score, giving Villanova a 5-0 advantage by the end of the inning.
Freshman Larry Hotaling drove in Gialluisi in the third inning to make it 6-0. Xavier hit a solo home run to make the score 6-1.
Villanova added another run, putting the score at 7-1. Xavier continued its momentum and took advantage of a bases-loaded situation to cut the deficit to 7-4.
Xavier’s two-run home run in the eighth, along with an RBI single in the ninth, tied the game at 7.
Xavier used a two-run home run to walk it off and secure the win.
Villanova’s final game of the series, on April 12, saw a 9-6 loss. Although the ‘Cats had a late surge in the ninth inning, it was not enough to overtake Xavier and prevent the sweep.
The Musketeers struck first with a solo home run in the opening inning. Hotaling tallied his first career home run in the top of the second to even the score at 1-1.
Villanova’s starting pitcher, senior Bobby Finn, retired several hitters over four innings to keep the Wildcats alive.
It wasn’t until the sixth inning that the Musketeers finally took the lead with an RBI single. They hit a double to clear the bases and added a few more runs, giving Xavier a 8-1 lead.
Quintano and Leonard attempted to rally the Wildcats for a comeback in the ninth with a couple of hits. They managed to cut the deficit down to 3, with a score of 9-6.
“Any success you have you’ll use to gain momentum individually and collectively,” Coach Mulvey said. “I have all the confidence in this group and I know what they’re capable of. We haven’t even scratched the surface yet.”
Villanova dropped its last game with a final score of 9-6.
Villanova’s next game is slated for Tuesday, April 14, against Bucknell at Villanova Baseball Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 3:35 p.m.
